Work to replace decades-old underground cables through the centre of Falmouth will begin in January next year.

The phased work was originally planned to take place over four years, but Western Power Distribution (WPD) said it will now be a five-year project.

Following consultation with traders, Cornwall Council Highways and the town manager, WPD has agreed a plan that will enable it to start the essential work on the low voltage electricity network on January 8.

The project comes following a number of low voltage faults on the electricity network in Market Street.

It will involve the removal and replacement of underground cables and the installation of a new substation. It means the road from Market Strand to Grove Place will be dug up during the duration of the whole project.

Western Power Distribution will carry out work over five years

Jon Nesbitt, distribution manager for WPD, said: “This is a difficult project due to the location of the cables in a busy town centre.

"We want to minimise any disruption to the town centre, its traders and visitors as much as possible and what has been agreed should cause least disruption and enable us to carry out this work.”

Phase one of the project will start in January for three months. These dates have been agreed to avoid the busy Christmas period and all the other activities that take place in the town throughout the year.

WPD will be running a number of drop-in sessions in the town’s One Stop Shop for any affected traders and residents to have the opportunity to speak to a representative of the contractor, Kier May Gurney, which is undertaking the excavations for WPD.

Read More

As part of phase one, a section of road between the junction of Market Street and Market Strand and the junction of Market Strand and Fish Strand Hill will be closed between January 8 and March 16.

Phase two of this project will begin in January 2019 and further details of that work will be announced nearer the time.

The company has been looking at soundproof fencing in an attempt to minimise noise, but said it appreciated that not all traders were keen as it would block the view to their shops. But Mr Nesbitt said without the fencing dust will undoubtedly get into their shops.

"We are not doing this for fun, it is costing us an awful lot of money and needs to be done," he said previously. "It is a huge capital investment for us to reinforce the network around Falmouth.

"Over the next four or five years we are going to excavate the whole of the town; that is not going to be cheap, although we have not costed it yet."

Read More

Western Power said it wants to work with traders and residents to reduce the disruption.

"We have had a number of incidents of interruptions to the supply over the past 12 months and this is a chance to reinforce the network," said Mr Nesbitt.

"We looked at it and decided we needed to put in a new sub-station to give us additional flexibility."

While the work is taking place the road will be closed to traffic, but Mr Nesbitt said part of the discussions with highways will be about enabling delivery vehicles in and access to Church Street car park.

"We will have to close the road to traffic as we are digging along Market Street and down the hill into Church Street car park. We will probably work a few nights then we can open a certain distance for delivery vehicles.

"Logistically it has always been difficult to do anything. It is brilliant for Falmouth with all the festivals, but it gives us a nightmare to find a window to work."